the path led him to a babbling brook, and the noise of the water merged with the singing of birds, the rustling of leaves, the chirping of insects and the barely audible roar of animals. It was mesmerizing. It was sweeter than the strongest sensations Matthew had experienced in real life. It was as if he was not walking, but rather floating above this majesty of the jungle. The sensation of the lightness of his body was comparable to the state of weightlessness that Matthew had experienced before on duty.
Looking around a bit, he began to notice that the evergreens enveloped the majestic ancient buildings, and the succulent fruits of these plants hung almost above the ground. Their sunlit, ripe appearance beckoned one to taste these exotic fruits, but in this world they were of value only because of their sweet smell, which inspired and satiated the travelers of this mysterious path. As he inhaled their delicate fragrance, Matthew felt an unprecedented power awaken within him. He felt his power. If he wanted to, he could move the age-old blocks lurking under the thick green cover of tropical plants. And not just move them. He could tear them apart into tiny pieces. Boundaries did not exist here. Matthew could feel the energy of the stones. No doubt they were alive here and bowed to the lord walking among them. He lay down on the silken grass carpet and closed his eyes to try to communicate with this world that was new to him, but instead of fabulous sensations he found himself in his room, lying on the bed.
– No! No! – he was horrified. – More!…
Quickly closing his eyes, Matthew found himself there again, among the living, radiating energy of mysterious structures. The sensation of dual reality was beyond his comprehension. He could be here and there at the same time. Feeling like a demigod in his visions, he would open his eyes again and turn into a helpless, limited creature. Returning again and again to the dream world, he sought a more detailed view of the stone structures.
The layout and shape of such grandiose structures were beyond doubt as to their man-made origin. The window openings, which were favored by countless hordes of monkeys, stood out clearly. No doubt, Matthew's imagination drew him a picture of a whole abandoned city, which, judging by its boundless size, was inhabited by a whole civilization that had long since fallen into the abyss of time…
The alarm on his cell phone interrupted his visions of an illusory world, bringing Matthew back to the harsh reality. Compared to the sensations he had experienced, he felt so exhausted that he could not even come close to the coveted oblivion for a moment.
«Well then, – he thought to himself after a little while. – Maybe I'll get some more later. I wonder what such vivid and colorful dreams depend on. I'll finish my examination of the ruins and go to the experts. Maybe there's something wrong with me».
Having come to terms with his lost opportunities, Matthew regained his indestructible willpower and the powerful energy of the physical world. Instantly sketching a plan for today, he glanced at his watch.
«Quite decent for a phone call», – he decided, dialing his friend's number.
– Good morning, Matthew, – a gentle female voice came over the phone.
– Good morning, Linda. Sorry for calling so early, but the case is very urgent and cannot wait.
– Somehow I'm not surprised, – she laughed. – That's your trademark. Quick, all at once. Are we ahead of schedule this time, too?
– No. It's much more leisurely now. The only thing is to leave as early as possible, and the work itself is quite painstaking and measured.
– I'm intrigued, – she admitted without false modesty. – Will you enlighten me now, or should we meet?
– You know I don't like unnecessary chitchat on the phone, – Matthew answered. – Is it convenient for you in the morning, or are you busy?
– With my love for my profession I'm always busy, but for you I'll cancel all business. My work, unfortunately, does not bring the expected income, and in this respect you have never disappointed me.
– That's reassuring, – Matthew smiled. – The more so, the case I want to offer you offers the prospect of a very decent income, of course, based on the result. Shall I come to your place, or shall we have breakfast in the restaurant?
– Do you really think a girl could refuse to go to a restaurant with you? – Linda laughed again. – Do you remember one time?
– Who should I invite but you? – Matthew was surprised. – You know I'm a recluse at heart. I appreciate our friendship, believe me, and I'd give a lot for it.
– Come on, – she confused, not without pleasure. – Where to go?
– You're insulting, – claimed Matthew. – I'll pick you up in an hour. Do you have time to get ready?
– Of course. I'm waiting.
Matthew got out of bed and made his way to the climbing frame installed right in the sleeping room. He had developed this habit since high school, and it must be said that it had helped him out more than once. After his fifteen-minute workout, he hailed a cab and headed for the shower.
A gray morning enveloped the still quiet city as Matthew rode in the car. Overnight, the sky had completely given up the rest of the moisture to the earth, leaving it on the roadway, which slowed things down a bit.
– Would you be so kind as to turn off the music, please, – Matthew asked the driver.
– Do you like silence? – the driver nodded understandingly and turned up the volume.
– Yes. Besides, it's a lot to think about.
The driver did not dare to interrupt any further, which allowed Matthew to concentrate on the conversation to come. He comfortably sat in the back of the car and concentrated his attention on the cityscape flashing by outside the window, after thinking over the main details of the conversation. Multi-story buildings were buried in the greenery of densely planted trees and shrubs. The first pedestrians were already beginning to appear in the streets.
«Sooner or later it will all turn into a jungle, – Matthew thought. – The trees will completely take over their territory, the buildings will collapse, and everything will be as it was long ago before us modern humans. The wild animals will come back here again and reign over their land. And in time, someone of intelligence will explore these places, and try to understand those who lived here long before them. Our nature, our architecture, our thoughts. At first, explorers will marvel and wonder how those who lived on the planet could have built such tall and grandiose buildings. And a little later, there will probably be misunderstandings and smirks from such primitive logic of thought as ours. Although this is a rather optimistic prognosis, it’s quite possibly the most attractive one for our home planet. Maybe it will all be buried under tons of sand and dust, where no living organism can penetrate. Or it will end up at the bottom of the ocean, and our homes will become a haven for unseen creatures swimming among them. And in time, perhaps, it will all sink into centuries of ice, which will preserve the memory of us for many millennia. Yes. All this has already happened. It is there now. And it will happen again. How many times? Most likely, and the wisest will not find an answer».
The car, meanwhile, was approaching its destination, and willy-nilly the driver had to get his client out of his philosophical contemplations.
– Approaching, – he told briefly. – Is this the final destination, or are there any other requests?
– Yes, – Matthew answered, coming out of his pensive state. – Wait here. In about ten minutes I'll come down with my companion, and you'll take us to
